Since the Switch 2 first released, Mario Kart World has reigned as its best-selling game by a wide margin. That’s not surprising, given that Mario Kart World was the console’s launch title. It even came bundled with the Switch 2, an offer many took advantage of to have something new to play from the start. It’s not likely any game is going to take that crown any time soon. However, a 2026 release just confirmed new sales numbers that place it ever so slightly above the second-best-selling game on Switch 2. Until recently, that place of honor belonged to Donkey Kong Bananza, which has sold 4.78 million units as of Nintendo’s last update.
On August 13th, Business Wire shared updated sales numbers for Pokemon Pokopia. The Pokemon life-sim, which is also the highest-rated Pokemon game to date, has officially sold 5 million copies. Based on the most recent numbers we have for Donkey Kong Bananza, that puts Pokopia in second place as the best-selling Switch 2 title. Of course, that could change when and if we get updated sales numbers for Bananza. But I don’t think it will. In fact, I think Pokemon Pokopia stands to gain traction as we head into the 2026 holiday season.
Pokemon Pokopia Claims 2nd Best-Selling Switch 2 Slot with Latest Sales Update
Pokemon Pokopia just released back in March of this year. Since then, it has sold remarkably well. In fact, it’s arguably the first big Switch 2 console seller we’ve seen. It is, after all, the first Pokemon game to release as a Switch 2 exclusive. It’s also a cozy game that helps tide Animal Crossing fans over until Nintendo finally gives us the next game in the popular life sim series. And there’s no denying that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a leading console seller for the original Nintendo Switch.
By contrast, Donkey Kong Bananza released over a year ago, in July 2025. The game sold well at launch, and we haven’t really gotten new sales figures since shortly after the game came out. It’s possible that it has since surpassed 5 million. It is, after all, quite highly rated with an impressive 91 score on Metacritic. But though Donkey Kong is popular, he’s no Mario. And he’s no cozy life sim that gamers will play for countless hours on end, either. No doubt some new Switch 2 owners will have this on their wish list as we head into the 2026 holiday season. But I strongly suspect we’ll have a lot more people eager to get a Switch 2 and Pokemon Pokopia from Santa this year.
Regardless of whether it reigns as the 2nd best seller on Switch 2 for long, it’s clear that Pokemon Pokopia has done incredibly well. It’s the highest-rated Pokemon game ever, and it’s sold 5 million copies in just 4 months. The game hasn’t even weathered its first holiday season on the market yet, either. Clearly, the first Pokemon life sim was a solid idea all around. On Switch 2, it sold better than Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which also launched for the original Nintendo Switch.
Will Pokopia keep its place as the second most popular Switch 2 game? Well, that depends. We’ve got the Ocarina of Time remake slotted for sometime this year, and it’s rumored to have a special edition The Legend of Zelda Switch 2 console along with it. Odds are good that that game is going to do absolute laps around every other Switch 2 exclusive we’ve seen since launch. But for now, human Ditto and its Pokemon pals can enjoy some time in the spotlight.
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